Electronics modules of this type are often soldered to the printed circuit board and fastened on the heat sink by screws or clips. In particular if the electronics modules have an enclosed package, thermal stresses may occur at the soldered connection or where the leads enter the package, and may cause crack formation at the solder or at the package and consequently failure of the electronics module. Although it is possible to reduce this risk by careful assembly, the assembly-related costs increase as a result.
In addition, depending on the assembly concept, it may be necessary for the electronics module to be electrically contacted in a separate soldering step, which likewise involves additional costs.
Although the risk of crack formation as mentioned above can be reduced to an acceptable level by the use of thermoplastic packages, these thermoplastic packages do not withstand the high temperatures during wave soldering, so that once again a separate, complex soldering step is required for the assembly of the electronics module.
In the case of an alternative embodiment, springs are inserted into the thermoplastic package of an electronics module and electrically contact the printed circuit board with a substrate of the electronics module that is arranged in the thermoplastic package. In this case, it is necessary to press the electronics module against the printed circuit board with a certain force, produced for example by means of a screw fitting.
In order that this does not cause deformation of the printed circuit board because of the pressing force required for the contacting of the heat sink, a large-area, mechanically stable stay must be fastened on the side of the printed circuit board that is facing away from electronics module, on the one hand requiring assembly effort and on the other hand using up considerable space on the printed circuit board.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,613 B2 discloses an electronics assembly in which one or more semiconductor chips can be contacted in a solder-free manner with a printed circuit board by means of conducting terminals. The pressing force for the solder-free contacting is in this case produced by a frame, which at the same time serves as a heat sink. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the pressing force between the conducting terminals and the printed circuit board is not decoupled from the pressing force between the semiconductor chips and the heat sink.
WO 00/35262 shows a method for mounting an electronic component. For this purpose, the electronic component, which has spring contacts for the electrical contacting, is placed in a holder and held in it by means of a cover. The holder with the electronic component is placed or swung onto a carrier and contacted with contact areas of the carrier. Arranged between the electronic component and the carrier is a strip which does not constitute part of the electronic component.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a component arrangement in which an electronics module is electrically connected in a solder-free manner to a printed circuit board and thermally connected to a heat sink in an easy way. It would also be advantageous to provide an electronics module which is suitable for use in a component arrangement of this type.